The first documented use of penicillin as a therapy - carried out at the University of Sheffield - has today been named as one of the UK’s 100 best breakthroughs in recognition of the impact the research has had on everyday life.

Scientists at the University of Sheffield have begun research to understand how antibiotic resistance occurs in Streptococcus pneumoniae infections in a bid to ensure that patients receive effective drugs during treatment.

As clinicians, researchers and policymakers mark World Antibiotic Awareness Week, scientists at the University of Sheffield are launching a new degree programme to teach students about the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.

By 2050, it is expected that the world population will reach 10 billion. The amount of food necessary to feed our appetites is expected to rise by 50%, and as things stand it is impossible for our current methods of agriculture and plant production to sustain this rapid population growth. But scientists at the University of Sheffield are using their knowledge of fundamental plant processes to research new approaches to sustainable food production.

Dr Caspar Chater from our department has been shortlisted for a 2018 Newton Prize for his project developing Climate-Ready elite bean varieties to combat drought-associated yield losses for Mexican and Latin American agriculture.

Professor Neil Hunter FRS, Krebs Chair of Biochemistry at the University of Sheffield, has presented the prestigious Biochemical Society Keilin Memorial Lecture at the University of Oxford in recognition of his contributions to research in bioenergetics and electron transfer.

The 19th century was the golden age of chemistry and the 20th century was the golden age of physics. There is every reason to think that the 21st century will be the golden age of biology. Career prospects are bright for graduates trained in the molecular biosciences.